"Last year more than 20,000 gymnasts and fans nationwide broke the world record for most handstands performed simultaneously," said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. "We are thrilled that so many joined in our celebration of gymnastics and the incredible success of our athletes in London, as well as raised funds for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals."
Each year, National Gymnastics Day builds awareness of the sport and support Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Money raised benefits Children's Miracle Network Hospitals in each club's local community. Since 2001, gymnastics clubs across the country have raised more than $1.7 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. The clubs have until Nov. 9 to submit their fundraising efforts for this year.
In 2012, National Gymnastics Day was also a celebration of the success we achieved in London. The United States won six medals at the Olympic Games– the women's team gold medal; the women's all-around gold medal, Gabby Douglas of Virginia Beach, Va./Chow's Gymnastics; the women's floor exercise gold medal, Alexandra Raisman of Needham, Mass./Brestyan's American Gymnastics; the -women's vault silver medal, McKayla Maroney of Long Beach, Fla./All-Olympia Gymnastics; the men's all-around bronze medal, Danell Leyva of Miami/Team Hilton HHonors; and the women's floor exercise bronze medal, Raisman. The U.S. women's team that won the Olympic title was comprised of Douglas, Maroney, Raisman, Kyla Ross of Aliso Viejo, Calif./Gym-Max, and Jordyn Wieber of DeWitt, Mich./Gedderts' Twistars USA.
The Kellogg's Tour cast also includes 2008 Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas/WOGA Gymnastics and her fellow 2008 Olympic team silver medalists Chellsie Memmel of West Allis, Wis./M and M Gymnastics, and Alicia Sacramone of Winchester, Mass./Brestyan's American Gymnastics; 2008 Olympic silver-medalist Jonathan Horton of Houston/Team Hilton HHonors (Cypress Gymnastics) and his 2012 Olympic teammates Jake Dalton of Reno, Nev./University of Oklahoma, and John Orozco of the Bronx, N.Y./Team Hilton HHonors (U.S. Olympic Training Center; and 2012 Olympians Steven Gluckstein of Atlantic Highlands, N.J./ETA, Savannah Vinsant of Lafayette, La./Trampoline and Tumbling Express, and Julie Zetlin of Bethesda, Md./Capital Rhythmics. Tickets are on sale now, and the Kellogg's Tour, which wraps up on Nov. 18, includes stops in cities big and small across the United States, including Las Vegas, Dallas, Kansas City, Mo., Minneapolis, Louisville, Ky., Hartford, Conn., and Brooklyn, N.Y. For more information, go to Kelloggstour.com.
For more information on "Turn the World Upside Down," and/or National Gymnastics Day go to usagym.org/upsidedown.
